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Smithtown's Women Chefs/Business Owners
Friday, March 1, 2013 at 10:11PM What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown 
By Nancy Vallarella
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 15% of chefs and head cooks nationwide are women but more than 50% of restaurants are now owned by women according to the National Restaurant Association. How does Smithtown stack up? Let’s take a look at the ladies who cook!
Bold, creative, intuitive and newsworthy are the prominent adjectives that come to mind when researching some of Smithtown’s female restaurant/food business owners. They are bold in their choices to start businesses during economic down-turns in a highly competitive market. Creative in the products they produce, but also in how they market those products. They are intuitive in understanding their customer’s needs and keep a pulse on their clientele’s ever changing wants. So far this year, over a four week period, Newsday printed articles about three of Smithtown’s culinary goddesses and their products.
Mid-January, Chef/ Owner Amphia Holmquist of the Thai House of Smithtown was awarded one of the island’s Top Thai tables and her Siam shrimp took the cover of that Newsday’s explore LI issue. Just prior to Super Bowl Sunday, Elegant Eating’s Tuscan sandwich made a touchdown in Joan Reminick’s article which profiled some of the finest football fare our island has to offer. Sorry Joan but this was hardly news to ;)
Lucille Kelly- Sweet Lucille’sSmithtown residents who have enjoyed Owner Myra Naseem’s cuisine for nearly thirty years. It always tastes as good as it looks no matter what the occasion. What better day than Valentine’s Day for Smithtown’s very own Lucille Kelley, Executive Chef /Owner of Sweet Lucille’s to make a Newsday debut with her crown jewel carrot cake? Congrats ladies!
Always refining the menu and offering a cultural experience on weekend nights, Chef/Owner Liz Keschl of Perfecto Mundo brings music, art and psychic-mediums to;)
Liz Keschl - Perfecto Mundo round out the dining experience. She sets her goals high… the english translation of her restaurant’s name is… perfect world. Meet Psychic-Medium Jeffery Wands, April 15th at Perfecto Mundo.
Chutzpah or savvy business prowess - which does culinary goddess of Portuguese cuisine, Luisa Batista Owner of LUSO, possess? She is moving her highly successful restaurant to the west side of Main Street to the rather large and former location of Sertinos Café and Sizzler. With her thirty years of restaurant experience my money is on savvy business prowess. Smithtown eagerly awaits the transformation of the new location. You go girl!
Maureen Dernbach, Owner of Maureen’s Kitchen, along with her daughters has been feeding Smithtown breakfast and lunch for 27 years. Their altruism is honored by the Smithtown Children’s Foundation with two scholarships - one each for Smithtown High School East and West students who plan on attending culinary school. - Thank you ladies for cultivating culinary talent within our town.
Maria Mones of Maria’s Mexican and Latin Cuisine, Kristyn Weiser of Fanny Cakes, Florie Robinson of Florie Finales, Erin Pulito of Crumb Belles , Ellen Bedziner of Yogurtini, Claudia La Grega of Faraday’s of Smithtown, Gloria Marsilio of The Garden Grill, the ladies of Our Kitchen to Yours – Maria, Barbara and Toni… the list goes on. Oops - Forgot Gail Nelson of Ocean’s Bounty Seafood and her delectable chowders, chillis, crab cakes and coconut shrimp!!
During the month of March, Smithtown Matters would like to honor several culinary goddesses with individual profiles. Who would you like to know more about? Post a nomination in the Comments area below or on the What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown’s facebook page
Remember - Smithtown’s Restaurant Week starts Sunday, March 3rd!
Reader Comments (4)
Oops - Forgot Gail Nelson of Ocean's Bounty Seafood and her delectable chowders, chillis, crab cakes and coconut shrimp!!
I would like to learn more about Myra from Elegant Eating! I just took my first cooking class there last month and it was super fun.
I would like to know how they got into the food business.
Congrats to Maria's Mexican & Latin Cuisine. they were in Newsday, Thursday, March 7 th.